The anticipation around Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom continues to grow with each passing day. Ever since the game was announced, Zelda fans have been eagerly waiting for Nintendo to release any new updates. Recently, the Nintendo of America channel on YouTube launched a video featuring series producer, Eiji Aonuma.
The video was over ten minutes long, and it demonstrated the gameplay of the new installment in the Zelda franchise. The highlight of the video was the revelation of the variety of different abilities that make the gameplay more unique and fun. Here are all the new abilities that were shown in the demonstration for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
4 Recall
The first new ability demonstrated in the video was Recall. To demonstrate how Recall worked, Eiji Aonuma moved Link toward the location of a falling object. After arriving at his destination, he used Recall on the rock that had fallen from the sky. Eiji moved Link on top of the rock, and it began to rise and go back along the same path that it had fallen.
Recall will allow players to rewind the movement of an object. This particular ability will help players access various locations, especially the sky islands. Of course, Recall is not limited to just traveling, but that is how it was used in the demonstration. Once the game is released, players will use their ingenuity to bring out the full potential of this ability.
3 Fuse
One of the biggest concerns in Breath of the Wild was the durability of the weapons. Often, players would find themselves carrying loads of different weapons in case they had to fight many enemies. Another problem associated with weapons was the difficulty finding Korok Seeds to increase the inventory size. When players did find one, it was important to invest in the right thing. To combat this issue, the developers have introduced an ability called Fuse.
As the name suggests, Fuse will allow players to combine two different weapons to increase their range, damage output, durability, etc. Fuse can also be applied to arrows and shields. For example, if a player wants to increase the accuracy of an arrow, all they have to do is select an arrow and fuse it with a Keesa Eyeball. Once the arrow is released, it automatically goes after the nearest enemy or animal. The demonstration also showcased combining an arrow with White Chuchu Jelly to freeze an enemy. The enemies in Tears of the Kingdom will also carry fused weapons that will have unique effects, making the game more challenging.
2 Ultrahand
Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an open-world game, which means players can explore almost every single part. Most of it can be explored with the help of a horse, but certain terrains can only be explored by climbing, swimming, and gliding. Link can easily perform all three actions, provided he has the stamina required for them. If players ignore upgrading their stamina, it can severely restrict the gameplay.
To combat this problem, Link will have an ability called Ultrahand in Tears of the Kingdom. This ability will enable Link to join several things together to create a different object. In the gameplay demonstration, Eiji Aonuma created a makeshift boat to get across a river. Ultrahand will not only allow players to create simple objects like boats but also many other complex things, such as cars and flying machines. According to Eiji, there is no limit to what the players can create. It is all based on their imagination and skills.
1 Ascend
The fourth and final ability is called Ascend. It is useful for exploring, as it enables Link to pass through the ceiling of any place. This will potentially save a lot of time, as previously players had to climb all the way to the top, making the process more tedious. But now they can simply use Ascend to get to the summit, which will make exploration more fun.
Ascend was used a handful of times in the demonstration, and while it may not seem as attractive as the other three, it is definitely just as useful, if not more so, than them. In the video, Eiji also confirmed that Ascend has certain limitations, although it is currently unknown what they are.
Which Ability Is The Best?
All four abilities that were revealed are unique and will challenge the players' creativity even more. Out of the four, Fuse has the most potential, as it is an ability that does not seem to have any limitations. Players will have complete freedom over what two things they want to combine. Considering the variety of monsters, animals, and other beings present in the game, the sky is truly the limit. Ultrahand also looks very promising, and depending on what kinds of vehicles can be made, it may be more enjoyable than Fuse.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12, 2023, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. The game has been available for pre-order for quite some time, and it costs $70. To commemorate its release, Nintendo has also launched an exclusive Tears of the Kingdom limited edition OLED Switch. For Zelda fans who still haven't upgraded to the OLED Switch, this might be the perfect opportunity.